Fubon Bank opens inaugural offshore branch in Shenzhen

Hong Kong-based Fubon Bank has opened its first offshore branch in Shenzhen, positioning the city as a core hub for financial services within the Greater Bay Area (GBA). The move deepens the bank's regional footprint and marks a new phase in its participation in cross-border cooperation.

In conversation with MARKETING‑INTERACTIVE, a spokesperson for Fubon Bank said that the GBA is one of China's most prosperous and industrially dynamic regions, home to numerous industry leaders and high‑growth SMEs. As industrial upgrading and cross‑border trade continue to gather pace across the region, corporate demand for overseas expansion is set to keep rising. "Establishing the Shenzhen branch at this juncture is therefore the right move to seize these market opportunities."

Located in Qianhai, the new branch boasts a sleek, contemporary design with spacious, light‑filled interiors. The team currently numbers around 20 staff. "Over the next three years, we plan to scale the team to approximately 50 professionals. Recruitment will focus on high‑calibre talent across IT, industry research, risk management and client relationship development."

The spokesperson added that Qianhai delivers a strong financial agglomeration effect alongside a diverse business ecosystem. Its close proximity to Hong Kong enables smoother cross‑border capital flows and efficient capital connectivity.

When discussing market positioning, the spokesperson explained that Fubon Bank's competitive edge stems from its long‑standing experience in cross‑strait and Hong Kong financial collaboration, plus the full‑spectrum financial resources of the Fubon Group.

"Our exceptional financial service expertise enables us to provide mainland companies with bespoke cross‑border financial solutions that meet their overseas expansion needs. At the same time, we have a strong portfolio of Taiwanese corporate client resources and extensive experience in financing for the semiconductor, electronics, and hardware supply chains, offering a unique competitive advantage."

Drawing on its agile decision‑making framework, well‑established Taiwanese corporate networks and mature suite of cross‑border products, Fubon Bank sets itself apart from large multinational banks and mainland Chinese lenders alike. With the Shenzhen branch acting as the anchor for its mainland operations, the bank will steadily pursue its three‑year targets covering deposits, lending, client acquisition and team development. Concurrently, it will seek fresh growth avenues via industrial‑chain partnerships.

At present, the Shenzhen branch concentrates primarily on corporate banking, with two core strategic priorities: extending GBA‑focused services to its existing Hong Kong corporate client base, and securing new corporate clients.

"We will explore retail-related businesses in due course, depending on operational readiness. Our initial target is to acquire 20 to 30 new clients annually, with a strategic focus on sectors including ESG (clean energy, electric vehicles, charging infrastructure), artificial intelligence (both software and hardware), and healthcare (pharmaceuticals and medical devices)."

The bank's long‑term ambition is to build a one‑stop cross‑border corporate financial‑services platform linking markets across the Taiwan Strait and Hong Kong, continuously channelling financial support toward high‑quality real‑economy development within the GBA.

To mark the official launch, Fubon Bank hosted a grand opening ceremony on 11 August, celebrating an important milestone in the bank's development and its expanding presence in the GBA.

Daniel Tsai, chairman, Fubon Bank (Hong Kong), said: "The GBA is among China's most economically vibrant regions, distinguished by exceptional industrial dynamism and home to a substantial number of industry leaders and high-growth small and medium-sized enterprises."

"As the GBA accelerates its industrial upgrading and cross-border economic activity, demand among businesses for overseas expansion continues to rise steadily. The establishment of our Shenzhen branch at this juncture enables us to capture market opportunities at precisely the right moment,” Tsai added.

Simon Chung, CEO and managing director, Fubon Bank (Hong Kong), said: "We will adopt a 'dual-track' strategy to steadily strengthen our Hong Kong operations. In the initial phase, the Shenzhen branch will concentrate on corporate banking services, and we intend to explore retail business opportunities progressively, in line with our operational development."

"Our long-term vision is to build a comprehensive one-stop corporate financial services platform that bridges the markets across the strait and Hong Kong, while consistently providing financial impetus to support the high-quality development of the real economy across the GBA," added Chung.

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The launch of the new branch comes amid accelerated financial integration and policy liberalisation across the GBA. Backed by landmark regulatory initiatives including the Qianhai, Nansha and Hengqin financial support policies, the GBA has solidified its status as China's key testing ground for cross-border financial opening-up, continuously lowering institutional barriers for Hong Kong financial institutions to expand into mainland markets.

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